Diwali is just a few days away. I am planning a holiday, for about a 4/5 days in Nainital. Since Umashankar has visited this place, a few tips before 15th, would help in planning a better utilisation of time and not miss anything of special attraction. I am also therefore sending my greetings for the occasion a bit early and in the blog.
"Almost all our festivals convey a message of the triumph of Good over evil and Diwali is no exception. The slaying of evil asura Naraka, just before dawn (the darkest hour) by the Lord, to usher in enlightenment, symbolises this spirit; imploring us to look inward, and banish all evils from our hearts and let goodness prevail.
The dilution of this profound message and reducing it to just cooing of perfunctory, and often insincere "happy diwali" kind of a tamasha being excahanged with any and every one, is a sad but real tragedy of today's times.
Let me therefore wish, that at least on this one day, we all strive to shed every bit of our hatred towards other fellow human beings, letting the message of "love" triumph/ permeate/ sustain us thru the year(s), and honestly pray for universal peace and happiness.
May the Lord Bless us all.
Love
Vichu
Dear All,
ReplyDeleteDiwali Greetings to you from a net cafe in Al-Jubail.
Saturday will be a working day and while I may not be able to perform all the functions required of meduring diwali, I am attempting to do so in installments right away.
In the context of the slaying of Naraka - asura, it is quite poignant that we ask each other, "ganagasnanam aacha" or did you have a bath in the holy river of ganges?
An appealing logic comes to mind. Even the slaying of demons requires prformance of funeral rites. No funeral rite is complete without a bath. In every region, a dip in a flowing river is extremely symbolic, both philosophically and in secular sense.
Our demons reside withn us. Taking a bath then signifies, purification of of the body, uttering the name of the holy Ganges purifies the soul and performance of the pitru-tarpanam and sandhyavandanam cleanses the mind before the beginning of the festivities.
Total purification is then a necessary and sufficient condition for experience of total joy.
Happy diwali to One and All.